This invention relates in general to data processing and, more specifically, to a method and system for decoupled audio and video presentation.
As computers have grown increasingly important in today""s society, the desire of users to access information from a variety of locations has also increased. The desire to access information from a variety of locations also lead to an increase in the use of wireless voice phones by users. For example, users may desire to access electronic mail from their cell phones. Typically, users cannot access all portions of their electronic mail from their cellular phones, such as attachments and graphics, due to the limitations of cellular phones.
The present invention provides a method and system for decoupled audio and video presentation. In a particular embodiment, display of video data on a device independent of an audio device is presented.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method and system for decoupled video and audio data presentation is presented. Available data is determined. An audio portion of the available data and a visual portion of the available data is determined. The audio portion is communicated in an auditory form on a auditory device to a user and a visual indication indicating the presence of the visual portion is communicated to the user. A selection of the visual portion is received in response to the visual indication and a visual device separate from the audio device is determined for displaying the visual portion.
The present invention provides numerous technical advantages. Various embodiments of the present invention may provide all, some or none of these technical advantages. One such technical advantage is the capability for receiving audio data on one device while displaying visual data on a separate device. A user may retrieve audio data from a server and be notified that visual data is associated with the audio data. The user may then display the visual data on a visual display, such as a monitor. The user may also lock a visual display so that a given item of visual data continues to be displayed on a given display while the user retrieves unrelated audio data.